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Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Hussein Ibish: US has a responsibility to rein in Israeli settlements

"Israeli leaders and others were livid at Palestinian president Mahmoud
Abbas’s recent United Nations speech, which included the hyperbolic
claim that Israel is guilty of “genocide” in Gaza. This unusually strong
language from Mr Abbas was undoubtedly aimed at a domestic audience and
designed to express the anger and frustration of Palestinians who
seemingly have no viable strategy for moving forward towards national
liberation.Even though such remarks – including Israel’s own hyperbolic claims on
social media recently that that “Hamas = ISIL” – aren’t helpful, they
don’t actually change the strategic equation on the ground. They are, in
both cases, snapshots of a political moment, and crucially one that can
pass quickly without leaving a deep scar.The same cannot be
said for ­Israel’s latest announcement of impending settlement activity
in occupied East Jerusalem. Plans for 2,610 new settler housing units
were revealed last week in the so-called Givat Hamatos settlement, to
the south of Jerusalem." Hussein Ibish

The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP): Established in 2003, its mission is to articulate and educate about the United States national
interest in helping to create a Palestinian state living alongside
Israel in peace, security and dignity. ATFP is committed
to strengthening Palestinian-American relations at every level. The
Task Force supports Palestinian institution-building, good
governance, anti-corruption measures, economic development, and improved
living standards. ATFP holds that these same values are relevant to
the broader Arab world, and that the question of Palestine is
inextricably linked to regional realities and developments.